Hearing aids are portable hearing devices used to treat the hearing impaired. To cater for the numerous individual needs, different types of hearing aids, such as behind-the-ear (BTE), in-the-ear (ITE) and concha hearing aids are provided. These examples of hearing aids are worn on the external ear or in the auditory canal. Furthermore, there are also bone-conduction hearing aids, implantable or vibrotactile hearing aids available on the market. In this case, the damaged hearing is stimulated either mechanically or electrically.
In principle, hearing aids have an input converter, an amplifier and an output converter as the main components. The input converter is usually a sound receiver, e.g. a microphone and/or an electromagnetic receiver, e.g. an induction coil. The output converter is usually realized as an electroacoustic converter, e.g. a miniature loudspeaker, or as an electromechanical converter, e.g. bone-conduction hearing device. The amplifier is usually integrated into a signal processing unit. This type of design is shown in FIG. 1 using a behind-the-ear hearing aid as an example. One or more microphones 2 to record the sound from the environment is/are built into a hearing aid housing 1 for wearing behind the ear. A signal processing unit 3, which is also integrated into the hearing aid housing 1, processes and amplifies the microphone signals. The output signal of the signal processing unit 3 is transmitted to a loudspeaker or a hearing device 4 that outputs an acoustic signal. The sound is also sometimes transmitted via a sound tube, fixed in the auditory canal by an otoplastic, to the eardrum of the aid wearer. The power supply of the hearing aid, and particularly that of the signal processing unit 3, is provided by a battery 5 which is also integrated into the hearing aid housing 1.
Communication systems in general, not just hearing aids, should if possible operate adapted to the situation. In an environment subject to unwanted noise a noise reduction algorithm, for example, should be automatically activated.
In principle, the algorithm to improve the sound or the intelligibility of speech, or to ensure a system behavior (e.g. feedback compensator) is activated only to the extent, and takes effect only at strength, required by the situation because the algorithms can also exhibit disadvantageous behavior. The negative effects should never outweigh the positive.
For example, a noise reduction algorithm, a directional microphone or a feedback compensator (in the sub-critical case) should not be activated if the hearing aid wearer is at a concert. In this situation, a noise reduction algorithm would attack the useful signal and generate artifacts. A directional microphone would cause undesirable changes to the spatial sound. A feedback compensator would generate undesirable artifacts.
Furthermore, there are situations in which these algorithms are activated but should only have a weak effect. If such system parameter adjustments are to be applied to enable the hearing aid to have the maximum acceptance, this can only be achieved by an individual decision by the hearing aid wearer.
In previously known systems, either mid parameter settings were provided that represented a compromise, or classifications were provided that meant decisions were made on the basis of objective features and the system was correspondingly controlled. The subjective perception is then no longer taken into account in the normal operating phase.
A programmable hearing aid system for determining optimum parameter sets for a hearing aid is known from publication EP 0 814 634 A1. In addition to the hearing aid itself, the hearing aid system has an adapter device that essentially has a first memory for several selectable parameter sets for each of several hearing situations and an input device to select an actual existing hearing situation as well as one of the many parameter sets available for selection for this hearing situation. Furthermore, it has a second memory for assignment data applicable to the parameter sets selected for each hearing situation. To determine an optimum parameter set in each case for several hearing situations, it is essentially proposed that during an optimization phase a user-specific optimum parameter set be assigned to each actual hearing situation that occurs and the determined assignment data for determining an optimum parameter set for each hearing situation be selected after the optimization phase.
Furthermore, a hearing aid with a control device is known from patent application DE 10 2004 025 691 B3. The acoustic hearing environment in which the hearing aid is located is analyzed and an adjustment function depending on the actual hearing situation is assigned to at least one control element depending on the detected hearing situation. The adjustment possibility of the hearing aid is thus limited to the adjustment possibilities appropriate for the actual hearing situation.
From publication EP 1 432 282 A2, a method is known for adapting a hearing aid to a momentary acoustic environmental situation and also a corresponding hearing aid system. A parameter set belonging to the ambient situation is stored in the hearing aid. The parameters of the set parameter set can be adjusted according to the hearing wishes of the hearing aid wearer by means of an input part that can be operated by the hearing aid wearer.